non traditional students/students taking time off

[eazylist]

If you are taking time off between undergrad and optometry school how are you going to go about getting letters of rec? Are you asking for them before you graduate and just saving them?

Similarly for students that graduated long ago and are planning to apply now, what are you going to do about letters of rec?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[eazylist]

I'm referring to the letters required from academic sources, not Optometrists.

 

[oceanblue392]

i graduated undergrad in 07, and have been taking some community college courses and working at an optometry office. before i finished my last quarter in undergrad, i went to 3 professors and asked for letters of req - 2 from teachers i had that last quarter and 1 from the quarter before. My undergrad has a LOR service, which holds all my LORs for me, so my professors just sent them there. I also got 1 more from a community college prof i had a couple classes with. I had to go back to one of my undergrad profs to have him fill out one of those "supplemental forms", which he did with no problem. I applied this past fall.

 

[jagyjen]

I graduated in 2006. I went back to the professors that I had a close relationship with and asked them to write me letters, they were happy to do so. Just make sure to give them a resume or sit down with them to catch up so they know what you have done between the time you had class with them and when they are writing the letters.

 

[171590]

I knew to "prepare in advance." When I graduated, I sent out a few thank you cards to the professors who i had closer relationships to and thanked them for helping me along the way. (Nothing overly brown-nosing--- they really did help me a lot) Then, I mentioned how relieved I was for graduating, my immediate plans (work, etc), and then my intention of going to optometry school eventually.

Then, when I asked for LOR's a year and a half later they knew my "intention" from the get go and were more than happy to write them. One of them even had my card on his desk!

I know this may not work for everyone but if you can prepare in advance, DO SO.

 

[jymezg]

One of them even had my card on his desk!

Was it displayed because he/she knew you were coming or was his desk just not cleaned in over a year? Either way that's awesome.

 

[jymezg]

btw, I took a year off before applying too. I just shot emails to professors who I thought knew me well enough to write letters. But to echo what everyone else said, just let them know of your intentions so its somewhat expected when you stroll in later asking for a favor 😀

 

[171590]

Was it displayed because he/she knew you were coming or was his desk just not cleaned in over a year? Either way that's awesome.

Good point. 😉 But I also lied, it wasn't on his actual desk, it was on top of his massive filing cabinet BUT the cabinet had a few other cards from past students over the years.

And I also did what jymezg did too. I just shot one prof an email. We were not "close" per se but I participated a lot during class that I knew he would remember me. He was excited to be asked. I thought the whole process was going to be the worst part---- asking someone else to do you a favor whom u havent talked to in a while. But everyone was very supportive and excited to help.

 

[OpticalBlackOut]

But everyone was very supportive and excited to help.

This is true, one of the professor I asked was genuinely interested in my career plans. I think meeting with him actually helped me prepare for my interviews (a year early).